Eating Up Monotonous Miles
The drive from Milwaukee to St. Louis astounds with its monotony. It’s a six-hour journey with little to take in but corn fields and boredom. It’s a lot better with good friends, a smooth ride, and a spacious, comfortable cabin. By those measures, it’s hard to find a better road-trip vehicle than the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 4Matic.
But the GLS has more than just the technology and luxury for a comfortable cruise. It also boasts strong power, plentiful space for up to seven passengers, stout towing capacity, and even some off-road capability. It’s good that it’s so versatile because it’s also expensive. It starts at $115,950, including a $1,150 destination charge, and my road-trip tester checked in at $126,610 with a few options.
The power is not only plentiful but smooth. Under the domed and ridged hood lurks Mercedes’ familiar twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Here it spins up 510 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque, and that’s aided by a 48-volt mild hybrid system that can chip in 21 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque to get going
A real-time power meter showed that I used only about 30 horses and 150 pound-feet of torque for much of the highway portion of my road trip, but it was easy to tap into the thrust when those slow-moving semis finally got out of the way. The nine-speed automatic transmission kicks down quickly, and the V8 lets out a deep bellow as it motivates 5,875 pounds of German crossover SUV to quickly fill any gaps in traffic. Punch it from a stop, and the GLS 580 can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 4.7 seconds, according to Mercedes.
Power flows to all four wheels via Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. The combination of the strong V8, a sturdy transmission, and a robust unibody structure allows the GLS 580 to tow up to 7,716 pounds, which is plenty for a substantial boat or horse trailer.
The GLS also has a modicum of off-road capability thanks mostly to a standard air suspension that pushes the ground clearance up a couple of inches in Off-road mode, which will help it clear many obstacles on the trail. However, my tester’s 285/45R22 front and 325/40R22 rear Continental EcoContact6 Q MO tires are better for ride quality and highway quietness than off-road traction.
Mercedes also aids off-roading with an Off-road Cockpit screen that shows useful information such as individual wheel height, tire pressure and temperature, and steering angle. Forward and transparent hood views also let drivers see what’s just ahead of and even below the vehicle. The trade-off for the GLS 580’s size and power is fuel economy. It is EPA rated at 14 mpg city, 19 highway and 16 combined. I did slightly better than that, averaging 19.4 mpg over my 950-mile trip.
The powertrain was responsive enough for any situation in the Comfort drive mode, but the suspension needed to be firmed up. The GLS 580’s air springs and adaptive dampers team up to provide a smooth ride at all times, but the handling varies from slightly wobbly to controlled. With 7.9 inches of standard ground clearance, the GLS feels a bit top-heavy in Comfort, as road imperfections and driver inputs can cause some head toss for passengers. Wanting to be a better chauffeur for my passengers, I discovered that the Sport handling setting in the Individual drive mode reduced body lean and made the GLS feel more buttoned down.
Individual mode also lets drivers adjust the steering and stability control, though neither makes much difference and there is no reason to loosen the nannies to whip this nearly three-ton beast around corners. It leans too much in turns to be fun, but the GLS’s unibody structure makes it lighter, smoother, and better controlled than body-on-frame competitors like the Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator.
From the driver’s seat, the GLS 580 provides the comfort and technology for a great roadtripper. The multi-contour front seats are supportive and their standard head pillows add an extra bit of comfort. That’s only enhanced by the standard massaging seats. I loved both features, but, oddly, my best friend, going back to grade school, was bothered by both.
The 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen runs some of the industry’s best software. I found it quick to react and easy to switch between satellite radio and Apple CarPlay. The screen can also be controlled via the steering wheel or a trackpad on the center console. That pad takes up valuable real estate that could better be used for storage. Mercedes also provides a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that can show a spate of useful information set within four different display themes.
My trip would have been more relaxing if the GLS 580 offered a hands-free driver-assist system along the lines of GM’s Super Cruise. The adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist in the GLS do maintain a lane, but they required me to keep my hands on the wheel. Mercedes does offer a Level 3 Drive Pilot system in the S-Class and EQS, but it only works in limited Western states.
I drove with up to five passengers and the GLS accommodated them all well. The cargo hold had plenty of room for three gym bags and two coolers with the third row folded down (via power controls, of course). The GLS offers a modest 17.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, but that expands to a very useful 84.7 cubic feet with the second- and third-row seats folded flat.
Passenger space was also excellent. The second-row captain’s chairs provide bucket seat comfort and offer more than enough space for adults. The seats are also heated and passengers can control the two second-row climate zones via a small display screen with hard buttons.
The third row will also accommodate two adults and has its own climate zone. The bottom cushion sits high enough for good thigh support and headroom is sufficient for a six-footer. Legroom gets tight, however, if anyone in any row is tall.
My passengers had a few complaints. Most agreed that the running boards are tucked in too tightly to the body to be useful and they wished both second-row seats would tilt and slide forward to open a path to the third row. Instead, only the passenger side seat moves. There was also considerable boredom due to the monotonous landscape and the complaint about massaging seats and head pillows, but then again, there’s no accounting for taste!
Images: Mercedes-Benz
